We believe that all children are entitled to the opportunity of learning about the languages and cultures of the ancient world, and that these subjects are wonderful tools for enhancing literacy, social awareness and analytical skills. Through a range of initiatives in UK state schools, we work to enrich the curriculum by promoting learning about the ancient world.

Welcome to the website for the Iris Project. Here you can find information about our current projects, download our resources and find details of Iris magazine, the project's outreach publication.

The Iris Project is an educational charity introducing the languages and culture of the ancient world to UK state schools in order to enrich the curriculum. It was founded in the belief that the opportunity to learn about Classical languages, literature, histories and art should be made available to all, regardless of background, and that learning about these fascinating subjects can be a vital tool in promoting learning across the school curriculum in UK state schools. We run a wide range of initiatives in state schools across the country, focusing especially on children in socially excluded inner city regions, and we also run projects which introduce Classics to adults in city communities.

We are the first organisation to design and run a scheme which delivers Latin on the literacy curriculum in state primary schools, as well as to target our project at schools in deprived regions of the UK, where literacy levels are often low and many children are on free school meals. We have worked with thousands of pupils and hundreds of schools to improve literacy, confidence and enjoyment of language through our work. We also believe that wherever possible teaching materials should be freely available to use and share, and as such, we make all our resources available on our website for anyone to use in lessons, clubs or elsewhere. We are always innovating and updating our work and materials, and we welcome ideas and feedback on what we do and provide.

Iris was the Classical messenger goddess, darting tirelessly between worlds; the ancients often drew and wrote about her as a rainbow, or as moving on a rainbow, full of dazzling colour. The Classical world is brimful of colour – its art, stories, religions, buildings, music, thoughts and ideas – so vibrant that our world is still coloured by them to this day. The project has been named after Iris, since like her, it is a messenger between the old and the new.

Iris magazine is the Project's termly outreach publication. It contains a broad and eclectic range of material, including artwork, fiction, case studies, reviews, outreach ideas and articles on a wide variety of Classical topics and authors, presented in a fresh, modern and engaging style. Sample articles, content and submission details and ordering information can all be found on the site. The editors can be contacted through this site, and welcome all enquiries and responses; they are also happy to provide feedback at any stage for material.

We also now run a junior version or Iris magazine called Iota, which is a colourful and engaging termly publication designed to complement the key stage two material on the Romans and ancient Greeks.